Automatic-regulating gas-burner.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

G. W. LORD. AUTOMATIC RBGULATING GAS BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT orFIon.

GEORGE W. LORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DIAMOND VALVE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC-REGULATING GAS-BURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed March 25, 1905. Serial No. 252,008.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic-Regulating Gas-Burners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gas-burners, and more specifically to a gasburner embodying an automatic reducingvalve,the invention being an improvement on a prior device patented by me September 27, 1904, No. 770,913.

The object of the present invention is to secure the same features of advantage pertaining to the device of my prior patent and in addition thereto to provide means whereby the attachment of the valve to give a greater or smaller volume of gas-flow may be more conveniently accomplished; to provide a construction which is substantially unaffected by the position of the valve as to its regulating qualities, so that it may be used for extensionbracket burners and in other positions where it is found necessary to place the burner in various angles of attachment; to provide a construction in which by the adoption of a peculiarly-shaped diaphragm substantially the same results are secured as were obtained by the use of two diaphragms in my prior construction; to provide a construction which may be somewhat more economically manufactured and readily assembled, and in general to simplify and improve a device of the character referred to.

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and the invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly in axial section and partly in elevation, of a burner embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower half of the device with the upper part thereof removed to expose the diaphragm and needle-valve. Fig. 3 is an inside view of the top cap member and movable port member seated therein.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole a valve-casing which is in use interposed in the gas-pipe between the burner-tip 2 and the supply-pipe 3. Said casing comprises as its chief features a cap-like main member I, having a reduced internally-tln'eaded portion 5, which fits upon the correspondinglythreaded end of the gas-pipe and is externally threaded at its upper end, as indicated at 6, to receive the lower end of a cap-like upper member 7, which is correspondingly threaded and telescopes thereon. Between the upper edge of the member 6 and opposed surface of the cap 7 is interposed a sealingwasher 8. The cap member 7 is also provided with a reduced extension 9, which is both externally and'internally threaded, the external threads being adapted to receive the lower end of the pillar or nozzle tube 10 and the internal threads to receive a movable port member 11. The member 11 is provided with an axial bore 12, which constitutes the controlling-port of the valve construction, and at its upper end it is slotted, as indicated at 13, or otherwise suitably shaped, so that it may be engaged and rotated by a screw-driver or other tool to raise or lower it within the extension 9. In order to provide for a wide range of adjustment, the port member is externally threaded throughout its length.

The main body member 4 is accurately cylindrio throughout a portion of its length, and within this portion is fitted a valve comprising a stem 14, having a tapered portion 15, above which is an extension 16 of smaller but uniform diameter. Upon the stem, below the tapered body 15 thereof, is mounted a valve-disk 17, which at is periphery is conformed accurately to the interior of the cylindric portion of the valve-casing, but is made slightly smaller in diameter than this portion of the casing, so as to provide a very narrow annular passage 18 around the periphery of said diaphragm or vane. As a distinct feature of improvement I provide the periphery of this vane with a downturned rim 17, which renders the under side of the vane as a whole slightly cap-shaped. In the lower part of the member at is provided a diaphragm or partition 19, and the lower end of the stem 14: is arranged to work easily through the guide-aperture 20 and formed centrally therein. A plurality of inlet-ports 21 are also formed through said partition 19 to admit the gas to the valve-casing. The valve-stem, with the vane or diaphragm 17 carried thereby, is

maintained in proper relation to the controlling-port by means of opposing springs, so that the position of the valve is practically independent of gravity, and therefore independent of the inclination or position in which the burner may be disposed. To this end an expansion-spring 22 is interposed between the upper side of the vane 17 and the inner wall of the cap member 7 and surrounding the valve-stem, and similarly an expansion-spring 23 is interposed between the lower side of the vane and the diaphragm 19. The vane 17 and the valve-stem are made of extremely light construction, and the coiled springs 22 and 23 are made of light resilient wire, so as to provide a construction which is extremely sensitive to variations in gas-pressure.

In operation the parts are assembled as shown in the drawings, the movable port member 11 being adjusted so as to put the two springs 22 and 23 under such tension as will regulate the volume of gas llow desired. The movable port member may be so adjusted that under normal pressure the conical portion of the valve-stem will be held below the entrance to the port 12, in which case the maximum flow will pass through the Valve. Should the gas-pressure rise, it will exert an increase of pressure upon the under side of the vane 17, thus lifting the valvestem and bringing the conical portion thereof partly within the entrance to the port 12 and restricting the passage for the gas, so that the volume of flow will remain substantially uniform. The movable port member may be adjusted downwardly, so that the conical portion of the valve-stem will under normal pressure extend partly within the port, and thus afford a more restricted passage and smaller flow of gas. I have found in practice that providing the vane with downturned edges, as described, renders it more sensitive and reliable in its operation. This is probably due both to the greater eddying effect of the gas in flowing around the edges of the vane and also to an increase of friction between the volume of gas passing through the narrow annular opening and the vane tending to lift the latter. It will be noted that the movable port member is entirely concealed within the valve, so that an unauthorized person will not readily discover how the adjustment may be changed, while at the same time the owner may obtain access to and adjust this member with the greatest facility by simply removing the pillar, and thus exposing the port member for adjustment.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it will be understood that the details thereof may be modified without departing from the invention, and it will be further understood that some of the features of improvement may be used independently of the others. I do not, therefore, limit myself to. the combinations and details described except to the extent that they are made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A reducing-valve comprising a casing adapted to be interposed in a gas-pipe and provided with an internal portion of uniform cross-sectional area, a valve-stem mounted concentrically within the casing, provided with a valve-point and with a vane the periphery of which is conformed to but slightly smaller than the interior of the casing,a valveport controlled by said needle-valve, a spring arranged to force the needle-valve toward its closed position, and an opposing spring acting in the opposite direction and in opposition to the pressure of gas flowing through the valve.

2. In a reducing-valve, the combination of a casing adapted to be inserted in a gas-main and having a portion of its interior of uniform cross-sectional size and the walls thereof parallel with the longitudinal axis of the easing, an axially-disposed needle-valve stem, a vane mounted upon said valve-stem provided with a downturned periphery conformed to the interior of the casing but slightly smaller than the latter, an outlet-port controlled by said needle-valve, opposing springs arranged to hold said vane and connected valve-stem yieldably in definite relation to the valve-port, and means for adjusting the relations of the needle-valve and port controlled thereby.

3. In a reducing-valve, the combination of a casing having a portion of its interior of substantially uniform cross-sectional size and parallel with the longitudinal axis thereof, an axially-disposed needle-valve stem provided at its upper end with a tapered valve-point, a disk-like vane mounted upon said valve-stem, a movable port member adjustably mounted above and in cooperative relation withthe tapered portion of the valve-stem, a spring arranged to support said valve-stem, and means arranged to act yieldably upon the valve-stem in opposition to said spring.

4:. In a reducing-valve, the combination of a casing having a portion of its interior of uniform cross-sectional size and parallel with the axis thereof, an axially-extending needlevalve stem arranged within said casing and provided at its upper end with ancedle-valve point, a disk-like vane mounted upon said valve-stem within said portion of uniform cross-sectional size, a tubular port member adjustably mounted in the upper portion of said valve-casing, a tubular pillar removably attached to the upper end of said valve-casing so as to expose to access the adjustable port member when removed, and opposing springs arranged to act upon said valve-stem and the vane supported thereby.

GEORGE IV. LORD.

Witnesses:

ALBERT I-I. GRAVES, FREDERICK O. GooDwIN. 

